Linthal is the last real village at the head of the Linth valley in canton Glarus, a long way into the mountains and a place that the modern world mostly passes by. About a thousand people live here, among steep meadows, old wooden houses and the dark shapes of textile mills from the days when cotton printing ruled the valley. Above the village rises the Tödi, the highest peak of the Glarus Alps, at over 3,600 metres, with ice on its flanks and a long history of mountaineering. From the valley floor, in the right light, the glaciers look like they are poured down the rock.
For riders, Linthal is the start of the Klausen Pass, one of Switzerland's grand classic crossings, climbing to nearly 1,950 metres before dropping into Uri. The road was an official hill-climb race course in the 1920s and early 1930s, the Klausenrennen, when cars and motorcycles flew up the hairpins in front of crowds, and you can see why it was chosen. The surface is smooth, the bends are well engineered, and the views on the way up, with waterfalls pouring from the cliffs, are among the best in the central Alps. It is wide enough for confident riding, but traffic can be heavy on summer weekends, so aim for the morning.
Up the valley beyond Linthal, an aerial cable car and a funicular climb to Braunwald, a car-free village on a terrace, and a dam holds the Limmernsee in a high basin. The Pantenbrücke, a wooden bridge in the gorge, is a favourite with walkers.
Fuel is not available in the upper valley with any reliability, so top up in Glarus, about fourteen kilometres down the road, before setting off. The Klausen is closed in winter, normally from late October to early June, and in the shoulder seasons a sudden storm can bring snow and ice. Temperatures drop quickly, and the wind at the summit can be cutting. Cows grazing near the road are common, so be ready for a slow stretch. When you leave Linthal, the road begins to rise almost immediately, and you will feel the day tighten around you.